Psalm 19 – Two Books

This is the classic text on General and Special Revelation.  The terms refer to the idea that God reveals himself generally, to all people, in nature and history, and perhaps in human nature.  The second term refers to more specific revelation through the Scriptures which contain the story of the faith descendants of Abraham.

Note that in the first 6 verses there is an exuberant and all pervasive communication to all the earth about the “glory of God.”  We find a universal but general message.  It is interesting that the word “God” (El in Hebrew) is used here.  This message is widespread but not specific.

Psalm 19:1-6
    To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

    The heavens declare the glory of God,
        and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
    [2] Day to day pours out speech,
        and night to night reveals knowledge.
    [3] There is no speech, nor are there words,
        whose voice is not heard.
    [4] Their measuring line goes out through all the earth,
        and their words to the end of the world.
    In them he has set a tent for the sun,
        [5] which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
        and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
    [6] Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
        and its circuit to the end of them,
        and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

   The following Verses celebrate with great joy the specificity of scripture.  There are 6 sayings that match nouns, adjectives and verbs, and then there are additional adjectives and verbs.  So you get a tapestry of specificity.  I note that there are different words for scripture (law, statues, precepts…) for their qualities (perfect, trustworthy, radiant…) and for their effect (making wise, reviving, giving joy).  V. 11 adds that there is both warning and reward – the Word is a two-edged sword, or if you prefer, there are two sides of the coin – both “Do Not” and “Do.”

Psalm 19:7-11
    The law of the Lord is perfect,
        reviving the soul;
    the testimony of the Lord is sure,
        making wise the simple;
    [8] the precepts of the Lord are right,
        rejoicing the heart;
    the commandment of the Lord is pure,
        enlightening the eyes;
    [9] the fear of the Lord is clean,
        enduring forever;
    the rules of the Lord are true,
        and righteous altogether.
    [10] More to be desired are they than gold,
        even much fine gold;
    sweeter also than honey
        and drippings of the honeycomb.
    [11] Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
        in keeping them there is great reward.

However, the world and the word are not enough for the Psalmist – he is concerned for his inability to honestly and truthfully hear, becasue of self-blindness.  So he calls upon the Lord to preserve him.

Psalm 19:12-14
    Who can discern his errors?
        Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
    [13] Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
        let them not have dominion over me!
    Then I shall be blameless,
        and innocent of great transgression.
    [14] Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
        be acceptable in your sight,
        O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
 

Note that in the Second and Third sections the Psalmist talks about and then to the LORD (Hebrew is YHWH).  This is the personal, covenant name that God uses with “his” people.  So in the end, the world and the word are personal!

FR

Hebrews 1:1,2 “Many Ways”

So we did a little exploration of the “many ways” that the Lord has spoken “in the past”.  He is our list of 22, paired up, mainly because ampersands (&) are cool!

             Yes & No.  The very first command God gave was in Genesis 1:28 when he told Adam and Eve to go, to be fruitful and to multiply.  The very first “no” that God gave is found in the next chapter – they could eat from any tree, except from one – that tree, when eaten, would bring death.

             Blessing & Curse.  In Genesis 1:28 it says that God Blessed Adam and Eve – there are many times where God blesses people – that is he gives them some good thing.  Yet God also curses – the very first curses are found in Genesis 3, where God punishes Satan, Adam and Eve for the disobedience in the Garden of Eden.

             Dividing & Uniting.  As people multiplied in number, they became proud and tried to build a tower that would unite them and make them as powerful as God.  So God confused their languages and spread them across the earth.  Yet, when he called Abraham, he promised to bring all nations together to receive his blessing.

             Stars to count & stars to Follow.  God later spoke with Abraham and promised him many descendants.  Abraham found it hard to believe, because he and Sarah had no children.  So God said, go out and count the stars.  Abraham counted and God said, your descendants will be more than the stars – Abraham believed.  Later, there were wise men that saw a star that did not fit their star chats – they followed that Star and found Jesus, and worshipped him.

             A Flood & A Drought – In Genesis 9 God calls Noah to build a boat to save his family and many animals.  Then he sent a flood that killed everyone, except Noah and his family – the world had to start over with these few people.  In I Kings 18 God gave Elijah the power to stop the rain so that the Children of Israel would know that they had disobeyed his commands.

             Stone Tablets & Heavenly Visions.  God gave the 10 commandments written on stone.  He carved the stone himself, so that it contained the 10 things that summarized the rest of his laws.  In Isaiah 6, the Prophet was taken in a vision to Heaven, where he saw the holiness of God on display, and received his call to preach.

             Thunder & Whisper.   When Israel assembled around Mt Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments, God’s voice sounded loud like thunder.  Thunder can be so loud that it knocks you off your feet.  It can rain so hard that you can’t keep up with it with your windshield wipers.  Yet when God wanted to speak to Elijah, he did not speak through an earthquake, a wind storm or through fire.  He spoke in a whisper, and he told Elijah what to do and say next.

             Studies & Songs.  The book of Proverbs begins with a call to study hard to learn wisdom from the Book of God – wisdom is available to all, but you have to be willing to study.  Psalms are songs that were sung to God in the Temple – and these songs contain many truths and promises.

            Plagues & Healings – In Exodus God used Moses to send terrible plagues on the people.  He sent frogs, flies, blood and darkness among others to show his power to the Man who thought he was a God – the King of Egypt.  Yet, through Elijah and Elisha God healed the sick and fed the poor.

             Angels & a Donkey – Many times God spoke through Angels – the most famous Angels are those we talk about at Christmas time – The angels announced the birth of Jesus before it happened and sang “Glory to God in the highest” afterward.  In the book of Numbers, one man was so stubborn, that God caused his donkey to talk to him.  Even the donkey was smart enough to know that you should listen to God.

            Nature & the Bible – one place says that God has spoken to us through two voices.  Psalm 19 says that the Heavens declare the Glory of God.  So the Stars and moon, the plants and animals, the wonders of the sky, the ocean and the land all speak of the power and wisdom of the Creator.  Psalm 19 also goes on the say that God’s written words are powerful, pure and life giving.  God speaks through nature, but he speaks most clearly through the Bible.

Revelation and Advent

Upon fifth thought, Revelation is an interesting read in the Advent season.  The season is not found in the scriptures, but is a church tradition.  We are of the view that tradition is neither good nor bad of itself. As long as church tradition is voluntary and helpful, let’s go for it.  when it becomes legalistic and routine, we need to move on or modify.

Two passages stand out to us in this season.  They have in common that perspective that the Christmas event is less about sugar plums and more about the conflict of light and darkness in the world.

Revelation  4 and 5 constitute a vision of the throne room of the Almighty.  Chapter 4 affirms the Almighty’s eternity and that he is the creator and sustainer of all things.  Chapter 5 looks to redemption.

Rev. 5:1-7 ESV
    Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. [2] And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” [3] And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, [4] and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. [5] And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
    [6] And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. [7] And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

    There in Revelation is the difference in expectations.  Would the Messiah, the descendant of David, be a Lion or a Lamb.  Would he come and rule with a rod of iron?  or would he be smitten and afflicted?    In this chapter the two come together.  The Lion of Judah is the Lamb who was slain.  His worth and victory was by sacrifice rather than be domination.

Now for this apocalyptic view of the birth of the Messiah

Rev. 12:1-6 ESV
    And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. [2] She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. [3] And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. [4] His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. [5] She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, [6] and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

    The child (a figure of the Messiah) born of the woman (a figure of Israel) is to rule despite the opposition of the dragon (a figure of the Satan).  the time frame is not Bethlehem in the time of Caesar, but rather an future or maybe ongoing conflict.

What is interesting is that the Advent is about a powerful restoration of all things. We wonder what Revelation 5 or 12 would look like as a Christmas Card?

FR

Hebrews 1:1-4 – Texture in the Text

Here is a fascinating statement from one scripture about the varied nature of the rest of scriptural, and non scriptural revelation.

Hebrews 1:1-4   ESV
    Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, [2] but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. [3] He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, [4] having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

One can read the Bible as if it were flat, like a map.  There are markings but only in two dimensions.  Or one can read it and notice the variation, and see it more like one of those world globes with raised mountains and groves for rivers.  The anonymous author of the book of Hebrews starts with this presumption. He asserts that in contrast to the many and varied means of revelation, the final word is found in Christ.

What are these ways and means?  Luke spoke of careful research (Luke 1:1-4), Exodus speaks of God speaking and writing messages to Moses (Exodus 18-20), Prophets sometimes had visions (Isaiah 6), other times it says “the word of the Lord came to X…”, Psalm 19 speaks of the witness of Nature and of the scriptures, there was a provision for the High Priest to use divining tools (urim and thummim- Ex 28:30) to find God’s word, the scribes gathered Proverbs from many sources, some were freshly written (Solomon was said to have written many- I Kings 4:29ff).   So we see a variety of modes of revelation – from homework to visions.

There are a variety of literary styles and genre.  Clearly poetry differs from narration, law differs from wisdom, parables from discourses and so forth.  There are three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek.  There are many literary devices.

For this reason the Proverbs begin with a goal that the reader become skilled in understanding the sayings of the wise.(Pv 1:6)  It is not as easy as falling off a log.

We do not believe that the scriptures are unaccessable, but that the more one knows about the texture of scripture the better one understands it.